Elevators according to prior art usually comprise one or more ropings connected to the elevator car. Typically an elevator comprises at least a suspension roping, but many elevators also comprise a so called compensation roping. These ropings may each comprise one or more ropes, which are typically either round in cross-section or belt-shaped.
A rope clamp is a device, which engages at least substantially immovably to the ropes by compressing the ropes between its two clamping members positioned on opposite sides of the rope. There are various different situations where the ropes need to be engaged by a rope clamp. The ropes of an elevator may need to be clamped by a rope clamp, either permanently or temporarily. For example, a rope clamp can be used as a means for fixing the rope ends immovably to a structure, such as to the elevator car with a roping of 1:1 ratio, or to a stationary structure of the building in cases where the roping is connected to the car via diverting wheel(s). In these cases, the rope clamp forms a permanent part of the elevator. A rope clamp can also be used as a tool in a temporary arrangement meant for moving the ropes with an auxiliary hoist. A need for moving the ropes with an auxiliary hoist typically arises, when the safety gear of the car has been triggered and the car needs to be forced to move, most typically upwards, in order to release the safety gear wedged against the guide rails. By clamping to the hoisting ropes with the rope clamp, and subsequently lifting the ropes by lifting the clamp with the hoist such that the car is lifted, the wedging of the safety gear can be released. Furthermore, a rope clamp can also be used to clamp the ropes of a jump-lift elevator. In that case, the rope clamp engages the ropes between a first rope portion and second rope portion. The first rope portion is in use by the elevator, for example for suspending the elevator car, and the second rope portion passes unbroken from the rope clamp to a rope storage. In this arrangement, the length of the first rope portion used by the elevator can be increased by releasing the rope clamp and guiding rope via the rope clamp from the storage to the opposite side of the rope clamp.
Safety being extremely important in elevators, the holding capacity of the rope clamp needs to be dimensioned high. In one example representing a normal case, the rope clamp needs to maintain its grip against a pull of 9.2 kN per rope. A drawback of known solutions is that so as to provide reliable holding capacity, the rope clamp needs to compress the ropes very strongly. A drawback of known solutions is that a strong compression easily damages the rope. Especially, ropes comprising fragile or soft material are likely to damage when clamped with a rope clamp.